I am not afraid of Gov. Umahi’s probe -Elechi

Former governor of Ebonyi, Chief Martin Elechi, said he was ready for probe by his successor, Gov. David Umahi, alleging that he had been under investigation since 2015.

The Nigerian pilot recalls that Umahi had on Saturday in Abakaliki, threatened to probe the Elechi’s administration of 2007 – 2015, for “massive financial malpractices”.

Umahi had stated that he had covered his predecessors ‘sins’ enough and would publish the details of the probe in newspapers and other media channels.

He accused his former boss, who he served as deputy governor, for failing to pay past leaders, including the Minster of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, their pensions and severance allowances.

The governed faulted Elechi for ‘crying’ over non-payment of his pensions “when he failed to pay pensioners in the state since 2009.

But Elechi told newsmen in Abakaliki on Thursday that the governor had been probing him and his two sons since 2015.

“I handed over to Umahi on May.29, 2015, participated in his thanksgiving service on June 7, 2015, but received a letter of summon from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on June 9, 2015.

“The petitions, which EFCC sources said were more than 50, were written by the present Ebonyi government through the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice.

“We visited the anti-graft agency regularly since and the last time I visited there in May 2016, I was shown a later from the Attorney- General where I was accused of several financial malpractices,” he said.

Elechi said that the petitioners’ allegations against him included his government’s involvement in the establishment of the state cement, oil and gas, rice production companies, among others.

“I gave my own side of the story and presented copies of the same petition which the attorney-general issued me in November, 2015 over the same alleged offences.

“All these fizzled because I was not found culpable and there was no way I would be afraid of probe presently, especially when it was ongoing,” he said.

The former governor noted that his government earmarked N10 million monthly to offset pensions all through his administration and the public could verify from the office of the state Accountant-General.

“The circular over the payment entitlement of past leaders was issued by the Federal Government and Onu’s own payment was supposed to be made by the Abia government, as the governor of the old Abia.

“Umahi has the right to feel bad that I failed to support him to succeed me, but I don’t regret my actions and he should not see me as problem of his administration,” he said. (NAN)